Water dropwort has crisp green stems and leafy tops. Its herbal, earthy flavor is a great match for squid with spicy seasoning paste. Outside of Korean markets, water dropwort can be hard to find, but you can use another green or vegetable in its place. Blanched watercress works well. Or try cucumber (a favorite of mine): Thinly slice it, sprinkle with salt, let stand for 10 minutes, and squeeze all the water out. Just don’t try to forage for your own water dropwort: To the untrained eye, its relative, the highly toxic hemlock plant, can be mistaken for it. Buy your water
dropwort at a Korean grocery store. This spicy squid goes well alongside alcoholic beverages like Korean
Rice Liquor.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
• 1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
• 3 tablespoons distilled white or apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 8 ounces fresh or frozen cleaned squid bodies, thawed if frozen, cut into about 2½-x-½-inch strips
• 1 bunch (about 5 ounces) water dropwort (minari), tips of roots trimmed
• ½ cup thinly sliced onion
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 3-x-½-x-⅛-inch strips
• 1 green Korean chili pepper (cheong-gochu), stemmed and chopped
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine the hot pepper paste, hot pepper flakes, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, and sesame oil. Mix well with a spoon to make the seasoning paste.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the squid in a strainer with a handle, lower the strainer into the boiling water, and stir the squid for 30 seconds. Lift the strainer from the pot and transfer the squid to a bowl.
3. Add the water dropwort to the boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Drain again and squeeze out excess water. Cut into bite-size pieces.
4. Add the water dropwort, onion, carrot, and chili pepper to the bowl with the squid. Add the seasoning paste and mix well.
5. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve.